Hosea 13
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.
When once Ephraim spoke, [all] trembled, so high was he exalted in Israel; but he offended through Ba'al, and he died.
2 Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”
And now they yet continue to sin, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, idols according to their own imagining, every one of them the work of the artisan: they say to them, They that sacrifice men may kiss the calves.
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.
Therefore shall they be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away, as the chaff that is driven by the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as smoke out of a window.
4 Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.
Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: and no god but me shalt thou know, and there is no saviour beside me.
5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.
I myself did provide for thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.
When they came to their pasture, they became sated; they were sated, and their heart was lifted up: therefore have they forgotten me.
7 So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
And now I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard will I lie in wait by the way.
8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast would tear them apart.
I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her whelps, and I will rend their closed-up heart; and I will devour them there like a lioness, the beasts of the field shall rend them.
9 You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against Me— against your helper.
Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel; for against me, against thy helper [didst thou rebel.]
10 Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
Where then is now thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, since thou saidst, Give me a king, and princes?
11 So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.
I give thee a king in my anger, and take him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up.
Bound up is the iniquity of Ephraim, treasured up is his sin.
13 Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
The pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is an unwise son; for he will not remain steadfast at the time of the breaking forth of the child.
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes. (Sheol h7585)
From the power of the grave would I ransom them, from death would I redeem them; [but now] where are thy plagues, O death, where is thy pestilence, O grave? compassion shall be hidden from my eyes. (Sheol h7585)
15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come— a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.
Though he grow luxuriantly in the green meadows, the east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord, rising up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: the same shall plunder the treasure of all precious vessels.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
Samaria shall meet her punishment; for she hath rebelled against her God: by the sword shall they fall; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up.
